Marblehead Accessory-Dwelling Unit Bylaw Proposal Up For Discussion

MARBLEHEAD, MA — A proposal to allow accessory-dwelling units — or so-called "in-law apartments" — in Marblehead will be the subject of a Planning Board public forum on Tuesday night.

The proposal would allow homeowners to rent out a smaller section of their residence in an effort to provide them with a source of property income and increase the stock of affordable housing in the town.

Within the past two years, Salem has allowed ADUs for the first time, while the Beverly City Council is considering a zoning change that will allow the same in that city.

Proponents of ADUs say that it helps address critical affordable housing needs by putting more units on the market that are generally lower-rent options while providing older property owners the chance to stay in their homes through renting out parts of houses or detached structures on the primary homeowner's property.

Opponents of ADUs generally cite added traffic and congestion, as well as the introduction of rental properties potentially changing the character of neighborhoods made up primarily of single-family homes.

The Marblehead proposal restricts ADUs to owner-occupied properties and prohibits short-term or vacation rentals in the form of ADUs. The apartments must be no bigger than 900 square feet, be two bedrooms or fewer, and have a separate entrance from the main residence.

While these units are intended to be more affordable than market-rate housing, there is no requirement within the proposal for specific rates that must be charged — as is the case in the Salem ordinance.

The third public forum on the Marblehead proposal will be held at 7:30 p.m. at Abbot Hall.

Residents can view the meeting and participate virtually here.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)